The Delhi Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and the Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of Delhi will form a task force to assist the children living on the streets of the national capital with rehabilitation and reintegration.
They're launching the project in partnership with Salaam Baalak Trust and Youth Reach, with the goal of “identifying and providing educational, financial, and guardianship support to street children”. Many of these children include those who are homeless and beg on the streets.
The task force will comprise caseworkers and counsellors who will be stationed in each district and will collaborate closely with the Child Welfare Committees. The project will be implemented in stages, starting with the South and South-East areas.
“Streets pose a serious threat of exploitation for children who beg, sell goods and spend their days at the red light junctions and in busy markets. Children deserve to be in school and have a safe place to sleep. With the launch of this project, the Early Warning System and DCPCR’s 24×7 emergency helpline, the Commission is launching a comprehensive mechanism for identification, prevention and relief for children at risk of street situations. With these interventions, we are confident that we will be able to provide education, health and safety to all the children who are at risk of exploitation in Delhi,” said DCPCR chairperson Anurag Kundu.
The task force will focus on a “five-pillar model of rehabilitation,” according to Kundu, which would include educational and vocational training, counselling and medical support, sponsorship, guardianship, and housing and home.
This announcement comes only days after the Delhi government unveiled in its budget last week a proposal for a boarding school for homeless youngsters. The objective behind this, which has a budget of 10 crore rupees, is to provide a stable environment for youngsters living on the streets to attend school and “bring them into the mainstream of society.”